Japanese and South Korean civil society groups hold a symposium: to prevent nuclear contaminated water from being discharged into the sea. Members of Parliament | Citizens | Japan and South Korea
On July 29th local time, South Korean opposition party members and representatives of civic groups went to Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan to have discussions with local members of parliament and civic representatives. Japanese and South Korean attendees strongly oppose the Japanese government's push to discharge contaminated water from Fukushima into the sea.
Korean fishing group representative Kim Kyung fu: If nuclear contaminated water is a good thing, it should be used as water for swimming pools, people's drinking water, or agricultural water. Why do we have to discharge it into the sea? We will work closely with Japanese citizen groups and do our best to take all measures to prevent nuclear contaminated water from being discharged into the sea before it is released.
South Korean Justice Party National Assembly member Jang Eun mei: According to a South Korean public opinion survey, 85% of the South Korean people oppose the discharge of nuclear contaminated water into the sea. 182 members of the National Assembly, regardless of party affiliation, participated in the campaign against the discharge of contaminated water from Fukushima nuclear power into the sea, equivalent to three-fifths of South Korean parliamentarians opposing it. Many local governments have also expressed opposition to this, and many civic groups have also expressed opposition.
Japanese participants in the symposium stated that they must convey their firm opposition to the discharge of nuclear contaminated water into the sea to the Japanese government.
Japanese citizen group member Kenzo Matsumoto: The radioactive substances in the contaminated water generated by the Fukushima nuclear accident cannot be completely removed through multi nuclide removal equipment. If a large amount is discharged into the sea in the future, not only will we be affected, but it will also pollute the oceans of the world. We will never allow this. We deeply regret the attitude of the Japanese government, and we must strive to convey the opposing voices to the government.
Japanese citizen group member Inoue Nishihiro: If nuclear contaminated water is continuously discharged for fifty, sixty, or even hundreds of years, no one knows what kind of impact it will have on the environment. If a large amount of nuclear contaminated water is discharged into the sea, it cannot be recycled. We hope that the Japanese government can suspend the discharge plan and reconsider other methods.
At the end of the symposium, all participants stood up and shouted slogans, inspiring everyone to work together to fight against nuclear contaminated water being discharged into the sea.
Attendees from Japan and South Korea: In order to prevent nuclear contaminated water from being discharged into the sea, we unite. Come on! Come on! Come on!